Traction-engine



4 -E. M. HOLMES.

TRACTION ENGINE.

, g MPLLCATION FILED FEB. 23. 1918. l l

1,348,877. Patented Aug. 10, 1920. i

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- .ft/venan E. M. HOLMES'. TRACTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILEDHFEB. 23, i918.

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A @wm E. M. HOLMES. TRACTION ENGINE. APPLICATION man EB. 23, |918.

' 1,348,877. PatentedAug. 10,1920.

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@mm2-51M M... 5'? WHW??? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EPIIRAIM M. HoLMns, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, AssIGNoR To DANIEL E. FRENCH, or .s'rUAnn FLORIDA.

TRAGTION-ENGINE.

V .tai-n a three-point-supfport for .the frame .and

also having the .motor supported `on the frame ,at ,thi-:ee points thereby .providing a lconstruction which .will .operate over rough .and ridged `ground and `upon side hills as 20 .effectively as upon levelground, A further object is to prov-ide -a .construction `whereby the tractor may turn square corners `or may be faced in the opposite .direction in a minimum space in Aorder that the tractor may .be .employed to the best .advantage for agricultural purposes. A further object is v.to provide Ala tractor .whichshall `be balanced ,and free from all .side strains which .would tend to .rack and weaken Ythe structure.` A

v l lfurther object .is ,to provide atractor .having .rear 'steering ywheels which .will follow inthe .track of the front ,drive .wheels .and .which maybe lturned to aconsiderable extent for steering purposes without .taking .them out- V side `of the track .of .the drive wheels.

n The full objects and advantages of ymy invention will .appear Ain connection .with ,the .detailed description thereof and are `.particularly ,pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawings, illustrating :the application of any invention .in one form? Figure -1 aplan view of the tractor showing Ia fewofthe Eparts in section. Fig. 2 ,is a v-Slide elevational .view .one .of the .steering wheels being.r-'elmoved -,and with one of thedriuing wheels partly .broken away. Fig. 3 isa rear elevational view.

In. carrying out .my invention Lprovi'de Va frameconsistin'g of two .parallel rlongitudi- 50 vnal beams lOand 12and .two shorter beams .14 and 16 extendingfrom the front ,of the frame4 and having their :rea-,r ,portions .bent inwardly and Asecured :to the longitudinal beams at 18 and 2O .betweenthe ends of said .55 beams, The longitudinal members l0 and l Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

Application led February 23, 1918. Serial No. 218,711.

V12 are secured together by transverse frame members 22 and -24, while transverse members 26 and 27 secure lthe members 10 and 14 and 12 and 16 respectively. The frame is s upportedat its front by two drive wheels 28 vand 30 rotatably mounted on a stationary shaft 32 secured by U-shaped pieces to the longitudinal members l0 and 12 and also secured to the short members 14 and 16. At the rear, the frame is supported by two steering wheelsfi34 and 86 which are about vhalf the .width ofthe drive wheels 28 and 80. The wheels 34 and V36 are mounted on 'stub shafts 38V which aresecured to acurved Lbar' 42 which is pivotally connected by hori- .Zontal pivot v44 to `a forked member 46 the upper end of which is rotatably mounted 1n `a vertical Ybearing 48 ycarried by a bracket V secured to the rear ends of the longitudinal frame members 10 and 12 and strengthened by Vbraces Y5 2. It thus becomes apparent that the frame is supported on Vfour wheels Vbut so far `as movement is concerned is supported at ,three points, namely,` at the pivot 44 andv at the points where the shaft .32 .passes through the hubs of the two drive wheels. The Vends of the curvedy bar 42 are `connected by a straight bar 40 which may be removed if desired for a purpose to be re- Y ferred to later.

For loperating 'the steering wheels, two

chains 54 `and 56 have their rear ends fastened to the curved bar 42 at 58 and 60while their forward ends are wound in opposite directions ,as shown in Fig. 3 around'drums 62and 64 which are secured to a shaft .66 rotatably :mounted in bearings formed on brackets 68 and 70 depend-ing -from the frame. Fortu'rning the shaft in either direction Aas desired, it is connected by worm gearing 72 with a shaft 74 supported by standard 76 and the shaft 74 has a Vhand wheel 8 at its upper `,end positioned within reach from -an operators seat 8O mounted upon `an radjustable spring-supported rod 82 extending into ,a socket 84 at the rear of the frame.

The Vmotor and transmission system With which my vtractor is equipped are mounted toward the front of the frame, as best shown in Fig. 2. The motor, which is preferably Y' an internal combustion engine, is designated the transverse members 26 and 27, and the third point ofl which is at the center and rear ofthe engine.` Thispthird point of support is constituted by abearing 92' on the crossbar 24 into which` fits a cylindrical'i extension 93 on the engine housing capable o f turning in the bearing. n account of this method of mounting, the engine is not* subjected to straining action when the tractor` isr operating over rough ground. A radiator and afiuel tank, indicated' at 94 and 96, and the other parts common to'engines of this type' are iocated as shown in Figs. 1 and v2. rlhe crankshaft of the'engine drives the usualtransmission device containedin the transmission casing `98 supplied withvv the customary differential, the differential shafts ofwhich extend in opposite directions through ycannon housings 100 and 162 for operating the two drive wheels, the

,shaft beingV operatively connected with the ',drive wheels;v through gears'104 meshing with internal Vgears. 106 on the driving wheels. A countershaft -108mou'nted in a cannon housing 109`has secured on itsy outer lend, a belt pulley 11.0for stationarypower purposes. The housings 100 and 102 are secured to the vfront of the frame members and have the additional function vof strengthening the frame. i

Secured to eachof the differential .shafts Aare'brake drums 112 and 1 14 with fwhieh ,Y brake bands 116 and 118 of ordinary con- Vstruction arel adapted to cooperate.v The vbrake bands may be operated by rods 120 and 122 connected to pedals'124 and 126 within reach of the operator, so thatthe drive wheels'28 and 30 may be independently .braked The operation of an important fea- 40,'

l made. This is a particularly desirable fea- .ture in farm tractors'and theV advantage' rthereof will be referred to later Vin the statement `ofadvantages at the end of the specification. I v

"A clutch lever 128 is pivoted to the frame fait 130pand throughfthe 'rod 132 is adapted to operate the clutch 134 of ordinary construction. A throttle control handle 136 is pivoted to the bearing ofthe standard 76 and through the rod'138, bell-cra1ilc140 and .rod l142 is adaptedto control the customary throttle 144., l A gear shifter handle 146 visrnountedin the Yquadrant 148 and is secured to one end ofV a rotatable and longitudinally-movable rod '150, the'other end of which is'fadaptedgto operate a gear shifter 152 of theusual construction.

...Depending from the longitudinal beams and 12 Ytoward the frontends thereof are VAtwo bracket members 154 and 156 which are strengthened by braces 158. A series of holes- V160 are provided in each of these bracket members and a transverse rod 162 is adjustably Vpositioned in these holes. A drawbar 164 is adjustably and pivotally connected to the bar'162 by means of a series of holes therein. 1f desired the drawbar 164 and the transverse bar at the rear of the frame can be removed in order to leave the lower portion of the tractor open when used for cultivating. In this case the implement tobe drawn maybe connected to the lug 166 by means 'of a drawbar inserted in the hole 168. A starting crank for the engine is shown at 170." y Y Y YThe operation'and Vadvantages of my invention Willmbe obvious from the foregoing description.: V`By placing the Vlarge drive wheels in front a powerful tractive effect is obtained,vrwhil'e'by placing steering wheels Y of lesser YVwidthfthan the drive Wheels, so as to follow inthe track" of thelatter, a very efiicient steering arrangement VYis obtained. The steering wheels can be turned to a considerable extent without taking them outside of thetraok of the driving Wheels, and steering is thus rendered easy. On account of thethree-point support for the frame and also for .the engine, a tractor is provided in which thewhole structure is free from racking and straining, and lwhich operates equally as well ,over rough and ridged ground and upon side hills Vas itdoes on level ground. `The tractor is particularly advantageous "for certain classes of agriculturalwork on account of the ease with which it mayvbe'turned in a minimum' space in lorder to make a square turn or to face in the opposite direction. The manner in which the tractor and the implement drawn thereby can be turned ina very short space is apparent from the construction shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. On account of the drawbar having a pivotal connection Well toward the Vfront of the tractor, it is apparent that the implement `does not have to make the full swing of the rear end of the tractor frame, but, on the contrary, when the tractor is turned about one of the drivewheels at the front in the mannerpreviously eX- plained, the *drawbar` willV assume the position shown in dotted lines 4and the imple- Vvment will be drawn around into proper position 'for continuing its operation by moving it through a'comparatively small space. A strong Yand .adjustable drawbar connection operatingin the manner above stated is thus provided vfor ordinary-work, `while for lighter work such as cultivating,a clear space may beprovided beneath the tractor, as previously explained, so -that ,the crops being cultivated willnot be injured.

I claim:

l. A traction engine comprising'a Wheel supported frame having drive Wheels at the front and steering Wheels at the rear thereof, an arched axle Connecting vsaid steering Wheels, a pivotal connection between said axle and said frame, and a removable bar connecting the ends of said axle.

2. A traction engine comprising a Wheel supported frame having drive Wheels at the front and steering Wheels at the rear thereof,

an arched axle connecting said .steering Wheels, a straight bar connecting the ends of said axle, and a draw-bar pivotally connected to said frame at a point remote from the rear thereof, the rear end of said drawbar being slidahly supported upon Said Straight bar.

'In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature.

EPHRAIM M. HOLMES. 

